AITO M5 Owners Report Interior Odor; Official Blames Third-Party Accessories

In July 2024, Mr. Liu, a car owner from Shenzhen, Guangdong, purchased an Aito M5 Extended-Range MAX model (manufactured in June 2024) from Shenzhen Zhongqi Automotive Service Co., Ltd. After taking delivery of the vehicle, he reported a persistent unpleasant odor inside the cabin, which adversely affected his child who is sensitive to smells. Mr. Liu sent the car to the dealership for testing, and both tests indicated formaldehyde levels exceeding the standard. The dealership then reported the issue to the manufacturer, Seres Automobile Co., Ltd., which conducted its own sampling and testing and claimed the results were compliant. Due to the conflicting test results, Mr. Liu filed a complaint with the Chongqing Municipal Market Supervision Administration, requesting the quality inspection report for vehicles from the same production batch. The Shapingba District Market Supervision Bureau responded that the June 2024 production batch to which the vehicle belonged had not been subject to random inspection, and ultimately terminated mediation as the two parties failed to reach a settlement. Subsequently, official personnel from Harmony Intelligent Mobility inspected the vehicle and discovered that non-OEM accessories—including aftermarket leather upholstery, plastic storage organizers, footrests, cushions, and a car cover—had been installed inside the cabin. After removing all these aftermarket components, they conducted a whole-vehicle VOC (volatile organic compound) sampling test in accordance with national standards GB/T 27630-2011 and HJ/T 400-2007, following a 16-hour sealed static period. The results showed that all original vehicle air quality indicators met the required standards. The company stated that interior materials used in all Aito models comply with national standards upon leaving the factory.